We’re getting married!

Our story kicks off at Gringo’s, where we were just supposed to meet up with a mutual friend for some food and a few drinks. We had no idea that this casual hangout would be the start of something so much more. What began as a simple introduction quickly turned into a phenomenal friendship. Back then, both of us were in different places in life—Melissa was planning to move to Washington, D.C., in the fall to pursue her Ph.D., and Wayne was on his own journey. But then COVID hit, and suddenly, the world slowed down, giving us all the time in the world to really get to know each other. And talk we did—constantly! We talked about everything under the sun, spending countless hours together while quarantined with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Our first “date” wasn’t your typical night out. We grabbed margaritas to-go from Gringo’s, picked up some tacos from a food truck, and drove down to Galveston, all while vibing to our favorite album by Sir. It wasn’t fancy, but it was perfect. That night, something just clicked, and from that moment on, we were pretty much inseparable. We didn’t expect to fall for each other so hard—after all, Melissa was supposed to move to D.C., and we thought this might just be a summer thing. But as it turns out, what we had was too good to let go of. Even with all the uncertainties, we found ourselves choosing each other over and over again. We supported each other through the ups and downs, and our love only grew stronger with every conversation, every laugh, and every shared moment. Now, here we are, about to get married! It’s wild to think that a random meet-up at Gringo’s led us here, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our journey together has been full of love, laughter, and a whole lot of talking, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.